Prison is a State of Mind…

Relief is my consuming emotional experience at the dawn of this New Year, a relief that instantly settles my entire body, my mind, and my heretofore ever-restless spirit. One decade ago, the GOGI journey was embarked upon as a desperate attempt to feel a little better about being alive. I wasn’t caring much for the whole “life experience” thing and was desperately and frantically seeking something, anything that might change my mind about getting my departure ticket off these school grounds as quickly as possible.

GOGI was born of my desperation, but also of my unwavering willingness to listen to those whose physical situations were deemed by others to be less desirable than my own. While I had physical freedom, the people I was serving with my volunteerism were in prison. Logic would say I had something to tell them and sound advice to offer. After all, I had earned two Masters degrees and a Ph.D. and was an ordained minister among a dozen of other certifications and accomplishments. Surely my book smarts would aid them in their struggle to play by the rules, the logic went. But the opposite was the reality; the more I listened to the prisoners of our nation the more my questions were answered and the more meaning was found within the spaces between my frantic paddling. Slowly but surely a change occurred within me, an incremental alteration of the accumulation of tendencies leading to an alternative life experience, one of internal freedom.

THE TIPPING POINT

Ten years and 100,000 bits of knowledge later, GOGI, has reached its own tipping point, or that place where it is bigger than my desperation, bigger than my hopeless situation, and bigger than any one person’s life experience. As a byproduct of my journey, GOGI is officially an alternative culture for the 2.3 million men, women and children in our nation who, through their poor decision making skills and poor choice of peers, have found their home address to be a governmentally-funded gated community.

Relief. Relief is what I feel. I do not need to check off this planet because it is a sucky place to live. It’s a sucky place for anyone who does not have the tools with which to make positive decisions. Armed with the positive decision making tools I learned while listening to our nation’s prisoners, I have come to realize this is a pretty cool planet on which we live and there are constant creative choices that can be made by me. I now know I am the boss; it’s my life experience and I can be proactive and positive in my thoughts, my words and my actions and this will alter my entire life experience. I can be free if I continue to use my positive decision making tools I learned while Getting Out by Going In. So, best I can, I continue to share the extent of what I have learned up until now in the hopes of lightening the load of someone right behind me on this path. Maybe by sharing the steps on my journey, I might speed up their internal processes toward internal freedom and they will be inclined to do the same.

BECOMING GOGI

A decade of practice and application of the GOGI Tools for positive decision-making has made way for a capacity within me to BE the very essence of GOGI, Getting Out of my own prison by Going Inward for the answers. Life has become a daily automatic execution of the tools beyond much exertion of energy. The pattern of positive decision-making has become the very essence of who I am, and, therefore, being on the planet is a pretty cool experience. I can paint any picture for my life with my choices and perceptions. What a relief not to leave this planet thinking it is a failed experiment. And this relief comes from the GOGI tool of LET GO, whereby I can LET GO now of all effort to cling on to the old. I now experience the illusive freedom that I endeavored to find for so long.

LESS DOING = MORE BEING

At the sharing of my life’s milestone, my daughter said, “Finally. Now I won’t have to listen to 24/7 GOGI.” The relief in her voice is palpable. We are both relieved. I am sure my friends will be relieved to get the new and improved version of me back into a more social environment. When I was talking GOGI, it irritated family and drove friends to find other companions. Now I no longer need to talk about GOGI but I simply “am” GOGI and the world is unfolding with harmony and kindness at the foundation.

DON’T GIVE UP BEFORE THE MIRACLE

Note to GOGI students: Don’t stop talking GOGI until you truly become GOGI in your every thought, your ever word and your every action. The repetition of learning and teaching and learning and teaching is at the core of your success. At that time, at that critical 100,000 bits of learning and tenth year of your dedicated study, your “being” GOGI and consistency of living The GOGI Way will resonate so loudly you won’t need to say a word. Ultimate freedom is there, between the words and between the seconds of time, if you keep Getting Out by Going In.

Comments on: "GOGI MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" (5)

Congradulations of job well done!!!! Many blessing is the coming year.

I am writing to you as a colleague and a woman in need of answers. My name is kelebohile nkhereanye a member of Class of 2012 at Interfaith Seminary. I am one of the women who was sitting in the pew listening to you and trying to make sense of your speech “LIVING THE LIFE OF SERVICE” is what stayed in my mind. It was great listening and being thankful for you for your ministry. I knew on that day June 16, 2012, my ministry would be to serve food to people in need, but things we were cloudy because life was not presenting me a clear picture of what is service and ministry. I was already giving food to people in need and thankful you were present to recieve tools to go forward.

This evening, I was looking for answers and it was only the divine, who gave a path to your new post/email. My brother, TSELE NKHEREANYE is at Lincoln Correctional Facility, he needs a job because he is out on work release, so far he was not able to get a job. Therefore, it has been stressful on the whole family. I looked at all resources and it was one of those evenings where no answers were present. However, I was looking for you and looking through my library books to find you, but God said, check your email. There you were Coach, celebrating your 10th year of service. Only the divine, would allow this moment for me to experience his presency. Please, send your prayers to family for my brother to find a job which is appropriate for him to service his time. We did my part, but somethings are not in our control. We need your support.

I ask you as a mentor, coach, colleague, and woman of faith to help my family to be able to cope with what is at hand. We are willing participants, we don’t know what is right to meet all the requirements, but we pray for my brother not go back behind bars. We understand, he committed a crime, and he is willing to serve his time through work release. However, we pray for mercy on him to be safe and be close to his family. We trust GOGI will be there for us in this time of need. Thank you for your cooperation.

Please have your brother email me. Coach@gettingoutbygoingin.org.
He is lucky to have a concerned family.
Maybe you can enroll in the Urban Ministries Course at the New Seminary? It is led by GOGI and designed to help individuals like your brother! Love to you!

Coach my name is Roosevelt I am LaDawn Bell’s last boyfriend should have been husband. We were so misunderstood, her family did not know us, she spoke about you everyday. I was at the funeral but I did not go to the sight. I’m having a hard time dealing with this. Can u call me @562 290 7523 sometime today. I just need about 5 minutes of your time, please. Thank you.

Please email me at coach@gettingoutbygoingin.org.
I know you two shared an intense love. She loved you very much. You would have been married were it not for the devil of drugs and all that comes with it. Roosevelt, you were loved very intensely by LaDawn. Know that. GOGI can assign a GOGI Coach to you who can volunteer to help you overcome the grief, regret, anger, and all the other feelings that stand in the way of your internal peace. LaDawn would want us to help so we are here for you. Love ~ Coach